a child of god
this is the way, run in it
Thinking about testimonies and truth today, and reflecting on a passage from Exodus 18 that was read at Staff Morning Prayers yesterday, at work. This passage from Exodus, specifically verses 1 - 12, really moved me as it involved family relationships, people from different nationalities and religions, and testimony about God's goodness and provision.
This involves Moses and his family. His father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, "heard about all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people" and because of this report, Jethro gathered up his daughter, Zipporah, Moses' wife, and their two sons, and traveled to where Moses was. The bible says this, "Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God" (v.5). Moses goes out and receives him well, Moses bows down to him and kisses him and gives him a family welcome, if you will. And I love this next part - they do what families do. They sit down and chew the cud together. They talk family news. Who was doing what and what happened there - all about "each other's welfare" the bible says, and then Moses gets down to testifying, telling Jethro all about all God had done for him and the people of Israel. That story must have been amazing! supernatural events and deliverances, the pillar of fire by night and the cloud of smoke by day - of God's presence with His people. And verse 9 says this, "And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them out of the hand of the Egyptians." Jethro, from another nation and another religion, still rejoiced over what God had done. He acknowledged it and he goes further by saying, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods". So this truth, this testimony that was proclaimed to Jethro by Moses helped him know, have the knowledge, the revelation, that the LORD God is greater than all other gods. That is big. And they worshipped together. There is power in proclaiming the truth about God. Who He is, what He is like, what He has done for us - those things ring out for others to hear. That kind of testimony is worth more than anything else because God uses it to bring revelation knowledge and eternal life to those who have ears to hear. And it gains in power and persuasiveness, I think, when we extend it with the hand of fellowship. The family welcome that Moses offered to his father-in-law and family paved the way for that testimony to have an impact. Relationships are important. Ours with God, and ours with each other.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Franci Ballwatching and working for the kingdom of God in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - UK Archives
January 2019
Categories |